Just One Night
by Regularamanda
Summary: They promised themselves just one night...but attraction isn't all that they feel for each other. It's never that simple. Sam and Jack. A bit AU. Complete.
1. Biggest Mistake

_Author's Note- This isn't surprising…another GW inspired fic. After a talk about how Jack and Sam could never just have a one night stand…this plot bunny found me and I couldn't let go of it. Much thanks to Majorsal for starting said plot bunny! This is going to be set sometime after 'Unending' and though I firmly believe that Sam and Jack got together after 'Threads', in this story let's imagine that they didn't get together. Consider it to be an AU story where they never got together. Slight gutter!_

**Biggest Mistake**

Colonel Samantha Carter slowly untangled herself from the limbs of General Jack O'Neill. She quietly slipped out of his bed and glanced behind her at the sleeping man.

She smiled slightly at him…he really was adorable when he was asleep. And he couldn't be a pain in the ass while he was sleeping either she thought with a grin.

Sam made her way to the bathroom to get redressed, it was early in the morning yet but she had every intension of being out of here before the General woke up.

They had promised themselves one night. Just one night to get the…thing that was between them out of their systems. And then finally they'd be able to go back to being friends. They wouldn't have all that unresolved sexual tension going between them that had been there for all those years. And once that act had been complete…there would be nothing between them . They could both move on. It was all that was between them after all, a healthy attraction for a member of the opposite sex.

They weren't in each other's direct chain of command anymore, so there was nothing wrong with what they had done last night. Aside from the fact that they weren't going to pursue a relationship.

The only word to describe last night had been _wow. _She hadn't had a night like that in a very long time, if ever really. Definitely not with any other man she had been with.

She couldn't help but wonder why, if all that was between them was sexual attraction, how come last night had been amazing? Somehow it just didn't make sense. It had felt right…to be held by Jack, kissed by him. To fall asleep to the sound of his breathing. Nothing had _ever _seemed that right before.

Sam shook away the thoughts. It had been one night. That's the deal they had made. One night of fun and then they'd be able to part ways.

Sam finished up her morning rituals and walked back to his room. She wrote him a quick note and put it on the other side of the bed.

She walked to his door but before she stepped through she took one final look over her shoulder. She burned the image of him laying sprawled out across his bed and the night they had spent together, into her head. She would never forget it. It was only for one night after all. And Sam was certain she'd never have another one like it again.

She quietly walked out of his house, regret tightly wrapped around her heart.

*****

Jack slowly awoke and smiled when he remembered the night before. Yeah…that had been amazing…but he hadn't expected it _not _to be. His eyes opened and the smile left his face.

She was gone, and in her place was a note.

_I hope last night makes things comfortable between us. Thanks for…everything. – Sam_

"Oh for crying out loud!" Jack said to the empty bedroom.

He had expected her to be there when he woke up….he'd been wrong.

Somehow he really hoped he hadn't made a mistake…a very big mistake. It was just the attraction that had been between them all those years…they were too different from one another for there to be any deep sort of emotional connection between them.

Who was he trying to kid? It was way more then just attraction that he felt for her. A lot more then attraction.

And he would have told her that, would have told her that he wanted more from her then just one night…but she was gone. And he wasn't a man who went back on his word. He had said that it was only going to be a one time thing and that's what it would be. Just one night.

Jack couldn't help but think that it was one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

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_Author's Note- Thanks for reading and let me know if you like it! This may end up being a bit of a longer fic then I normally do…so stay tuned!_


	2. Reassignment and Reflections

_Author's Note- Thanks for all of the reviews for this story! I hope you all will continue reading it and yes I have every intension of continuing this story._

**Reassignment and Reflections**

A week later Jack sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on his work…and failing miserably. Had it only been a week ago since he had held Samantha Carter in his arms and kissed her senseless? She was driving him crazy and she wasn't even here for crying out loud!

Jack's phone rang and he picked it up.

"General O'Neill." He said

"Jack I have a new assignment for you." The man on the phone said.

Jack visibly stiffened. "Mr. President…sir…what can I do for you?" He asked nervously.

"General Landry broke his leg today, and he was put on medical leave. We need someone to replace him and you're the perfect man for the job."

"Uh…sir I've been out of the loop, so to speak, at the SGC. I'm not sure I'm the man you need." Jack said hoping for an escape.

"Listen Jack it will only be for a few weeks, just until Hank is up and around again. They need you right now."

Jack's mind drifted to what Sam had said a few years before when he himself had been thinking about taking the job as leader of the SGC. _We could get stuck with someone a lot worse._

Yeah they could get someone a lot worse, they had in the past.

"I can make it an order…" The president started to say but Jack interrupted him.

"No sir…I'll be there."

"Good. You're needed at the SGC in three days. Thanks Jack."

"Good bye Mr. President." Jack said flatly as he hung of the phone.

He groaned and buried his face in his hands. It seemed he was going to be seeing a lot of Samantha Carter now…and he had no idea how that was going to affect their working relationship.

*****

"So who are we getting to replace General Landry?" Sam said as she sat down at the table in the briefing room with the rest of SG-1.

Daniel sent her a surprised look. "You haven't heard?" He asked.

"No. Who is it?" She said trailing off.

"Good morning Campers." A voice said from the stairs that led up to the briefing room.

Sam closed her eyes for a moment. She'd recognize that voice anywhere. Jack.

"Sir." Sam and Cameron said as they stood at attention.

"At ease Colonels. And please do not do that again." Jack said as he walked over to the head of the table.

"Good to have you back sir." Sam said honestly.

Jack's eyes turned to her and she felt the blood rush to her face. She remembered the last time his eyes at been on her, the emotions that had been in his eyes at the time. The emotions that she had clearly labeled as attraction, nothing more then that. But her mind couldn't help remembering when those lips had been on hers, and when they had trailed down her neck…

"Yes…isn't it though." Jack said sarcastically.

"Well I for one am happy to have you around General. We can use some more handsome men like you around here…the pick of men is starting to get a bit boring." Vala said brightly.

Daniel rolled his eyes at her and Sam barely managed to stop herself from rolling her own eyes as well.

Jack blinked at her and Sam hid a smile. She knew that Jack wasn't used to hearing that a lot. Even though she herself had thought it many times during the years. And that had been what the night a few days ago had been based on. Attraction. Sam's mind wandered to how they had ended up in that position in the first place.

_They'd been skirting around the issue ever since they had been together on SG-1. They had been out of each other's chain of command for over two years. And the attraction she had felt for the General was still there, plain as day. And finally when she had received some leave, she had flown out to Washington D.C., to see why the hell the attraction she had felt for the man was still as strong as ever._

_She had calmly walked up to his door and knocked on the door. The surprise in his eyes when he had opened the door had caused her to smile. _

_He had ushered her in and offered her beer, just like any other time that she had came to his home. _

"_So Carter what brings you out to my neck of the woods?" Jack had asked._

"_You actually sir." She had said._

"_Oh?" He asked and she could have sworn that he was trying to impersonate Teal'c because he raised his eyebrow at her._

"_Yes…I'm not sure if you've noticed. But there's this thing that's been between us for a while…"_

"_I've noticed." He had said._

"_Oh. Well I was thinking that maybe we could…" She had trailed off suggestively._

"_Get it out of our systems?" He had supplied. _

"_Yes." She had said brightly. "And then we can both move on…"_

"_So…just one night?" _

"_Just one night. No relationship or anything like that. Just as an experiment, and then we can put it behind us and move on with our lives." She had agreed._

"_You sure?" He had asked uncertainly._

"_Yes…Jack." She had said._

_And then suddenly his lips were on hers, his hands were in her hair and she was kissing him back with an intensity that surprised her._

"Carter." A voice said startling her out of her musings. Her eyes darted to the lips that had just spoken her name and the blush came back into her cheeks again.

"Sorry sir." She said as she tore her gaze away and focused it instead on the table.

"I guess that's it then SG-1. Dismissed." Jack said.

Sam couldn't believe that she had just missed everything that he had just said and inwardly she groaned.

SG-1 left but Jack called her as she started to leave. "Carter can I see you in my office in 15 minutes?"

"Sure sir." She said confused. Jack smiled at her and Sam couldn't help thinking back to the way he had smiled at her during that night…a smile that she was sure she would never get tired of seeing for the rest of her life. Except that was what they had promised themselves. They had promised just one night…and that's what it would be.

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_Author's Note- Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!_


	3. We're Okay With That?

**We're Okay With That?**

Jack sat at General Landary's desk, tapping his pen against the mental, impatiently waiting for Sam to come into the office. God this must be the longest 15 minutes in history. And he was nervous.

A knock at the door suddenly brought him out of his thoughts. "Come in." He called his voice cracking. Damn, he couldn't even keep the nervousness out of his voice. And then she walked in.

His eyes looked her up and down before he forced himself to look away from her. She was gorgeous, always had been, always would be. From her long blonde hair to her bright blue eyes. His heart skipped a beat when his eyes collided with hers, and he hoped with all his heart that his eyes didn't shout that he wanted her.

"You needed me sir?" She said. Her voice reminded him that not so long ago her lips had said his name…a name that more then likely he wouldn't hear on those lips again.

"Uh yes. Shut the door behind you please."

Sam looked at him in confusion but did as he said.

_He had rained kisses all along her face, from her lips to her cheek to her forehead and then back down to her neck. Drinking in the taste of her skin, the very essence of her._

_She has no idea how long I've wanted to do this he had thought, but he hadn't voiced this._

_It had been all about getting out that sexual tension that had been between them, so that they could move on and go their separate ways. _

_There had been so many things he wanted to say to her, but he had remained silent. _

"_Just a one time thing right?" He had asked between kisses._

"_Right." She had replied._

_Damn._

_He had briefly wondered what she would say if he told her he wanted more then that. If he told her that he had changed his mind. And all the words that in another time and place he would have lovingly whispered to her during this time, he didn't. Oh he had felt them alright but he couldn't, wouldn't speak them out loud. Not when she didn't feel the same. _

A minute of awkward silence passed before Sam cleared her voice. "You wanted me for something General?"

Jack blinked his eyes, realizing that he had been staring at her. "Oh! Right." He fixed his eyes on the desk. "I trust that what happened the other night won't interfere with the job."

"Of course not. What happened before…we can move on sir." She said.

"We're okay with that?"

Sam nodded a yes.

"Great...well…" Jack started to say but was interrupted by a pounding on the door.

"Jack." The voice said from behind the door. The Space Monkey.

"Come in." He called, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Jack!..Oh sorry am I interrupting something?" Daniel said his eyes darting back and forth from Jack to Sam.

"No." They both said at the same time.

"Okay…" Daniel said confusion evident in his voice. "Listen I just wanted to let you know, I know you had planned on staying at my place, but it seems that there's some sort of bug problem…so to make a long story short, I'll be staying on the base for the next few weeks."

"That's fine Daniel. I'll just stay in quarters on base."

"Uh…sir…you can't." Sam said.

"And why not?" Jack asked as he turned to look at Sam.

"Because of the new treaty I'm writing up. The delegates for our allies are going to be staying on base…there's no extra space." Daniel informed him.

"You mean to tell me on a base this size, there's no extra quarters?" Jack asked as he looked from one to the other.

"Sorry sir." Sam said with sympathy.

"Oh for crying out loud! Where am I supposed to stay." Jack said as he leaned back in his chair.

"I have a spare bedroom…" Sam said quietly.

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_Author's Note- What will happen I wonder? Hmmmm. Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!_


	4. Everything He Couldn't Have

_Author's note- Wow only 3 chapters have been posted and I already have over 50 reviews! Many, many thanks for that everyone! Those reviews mean so much! Now on to the next chapter!_

**Everything He Couldn't Have**

A few seconds of awkward silence passed before Daniel cleared his throat.

"I think I'll leave this to you two…I'll be…anywhere else." Daniel said as he turned and left, shutting the door behind him.

Neither said anything, causing Sam to squirm.

"Are you sure Carter?" He said not meeting her eyes.

"Of course sir." Sam said honestly.

Jack lifted his head and searched her eyes for any regret that might be in them. If she did regret asking him, she kept it hidden from her eyes.

"Thanks. I really appreciate the offer." Jack told her.

Sam smiled at him. "Need anything else?" She asked when he still hadn't dismissed her.

"Ah! No Colonel that's it, you're free to go.

She turned and walked to the door but before she opened it, she partially turned back to him. "I'll meet you at the elevators at 2000." She said as she opened the door and walked out.

Jack leaned back in his chair and groaned, wondering what in the Hell he was getting himself into.

*****

Jack stood near the elevator with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, resisting the urge to check his watch. Samantha Carter was always on time…except for today.

He heard footsteps and as he looked up his breath was knocked out of his chest.

She was beautiful. Her hair was in curls and she had more make-up then she normally would. And her dress…her dress was black and the bottom hit the top of her knee, revealing more of her legs than he was used to seeing. It had halter straps with a neckline that was a V. It wasn't inappropriate but he was again not used to seeing _that _much flesh from her...ever. His eyes traveled from her high heels to her curls and back down again.

"Sir?" She said titling her head at him.

Damn. He'd been caught staring.

"After you Carter?" He said as he waved his hand at the elevator. He really hoped that she didn't notice the squeak in his voice.

She smiled and walked in. Jack's eyes were immediately transfixed by her bare back. Jack swallowed and followed her in.

He looked about the elevator, anywhere but at her. Why was she dressed like that anyway? He questioned himself. She wouldn't be dressed like that for him…unless… Realization dawned and he felt like a fool.

"So…you have a date?" He asked casually, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

"Now why would you…" She said as she turned towards him.

"The dress." Jack said, his eyes once again looking at the woman before him. God this woman could turn him into a babbling idiot.

"Oh. Right." She said absently.

"Another cop?" He said remembering the shrub that Sam had been engaged to a few years before. It was like reliving that moment when she had first started dating Pete and the awkwardness of when she had told him that she had moved on, all over again.

"No…actually it's one of Cam's friends."

_Probably close to her age. _A little voice inside of Jack said.

"Another set up?" He asked.

"Yes…" She whispered as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"Why does everyone seem to think that you need a life?" He said without thinking.

Sam looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You were the one that ordered me to get a life sir."

_I never expected you to get one, let alone one that didn't include me._

"True, but that was a long time ago."

"Yes." She said as she nodded her head.

_A lot has changed too._

Jack remembered exactly when he had told her that, when he had just been realizing his feelings for her. He never thought she'd actually get a life. She was a scientist and science was her life.

"It doesn't mean anything sir." Sam whispered suddenly.

"What?" Jack asked confused.

"The date…it's just a date, nothing more then that." She said shrugging.

_Just like the other night meant nothing as well._

His thoughts might be harsh but God damn it, that night had meant so much to him. It could have, should have been the start of something great and wonderful. But now it was only the remnants of what will never be. He should have just told her what he felt. He should have been there when she woke up and told her that he wanted a relationship with her, not just one night.

He was quickly starting to realize that one night would never be enough. Not when it concerned Samantha Carter.

_During the night he had been awaken by the rain outside. And for a second he had forgotten where he was, who he held in his arms. But then realization dawned. He was holding _her _in his arms. He had softly brushed away the blonde hair off her forehead and kissed it._

_She had felt so right by his side, in his bed, in his life. Like she was meant to be there. He had gazed at her for a long time afterward, drinking in the sight of her sleeping. Wondering how he had gotten lucky enough to have her here by his side. _

_And he had realized that the feelings in his heart, the ones that made it seem hard to breath was so much more then just attraction. No, what he had felt went beyond just the physical._

_He had fallen back asleep knowing that when he woke up they would have that long awaited talk about what they felt for each other. _

Jack tried not to sigh out loud. Whatever he felt, it seemed that the feelings were not returned. And Jack could deal with that…he'd deal with it just as he had before.

A brief thought ran through his head. Would he trade that one night and the knowledge that had come with it, for a lifetime of just thinking that he was attracted to her? As he glanced out of the corner of his eye at her he had his answer.

No matter what kind of pain he may face, there's no way that he would trade that one night of knowing her completely, and realizing what he felt for her, for a lifetime of ignorance.

Though he knew he'd never regret what had transpired between them, he wondered if there would be a day when he looked at her and his heart didn't skip a beat. Because right now, she was everything he wanted and everything he couldn't have.

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_Author's Note- So I actually have an outline of this story written down…and it's going to probably be medium length. I'm thinking right now it's going to be somewhere around 15 chapters. This story seems to be writing itself so hopefully I'll be able to update a bit more frequently. Thanks for reading and if you liked it please let me know!_


	5. Never the Right Time

**Never the Right Time**

Not much was said in the car ride to Sam's house. Jack was calling himself every kind of idiot. Of course she would move on. Why the hell would someone like her want someone like him anyway? She was brilliant and he was a used, washed up old man.

Jack inwardly sighed and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. His gaze was drawn to her leg where her dress had ridden up a little bit. Jack quickly pulled his gaze away from her. She was going on a date…he didn't have the right to look at her like that. And for the moment he was her CO once more.

Sam finally pulled up in front of her house and he followed her inside. She quickly shut the door behind him and walked to her spare bedroom.

"The bathroom's down the hall…but you already know that. Um if you need anything during the night just let me know."

He set his bad down on the bed. "Sorry for the inconvenience Carter." Jack said sincerely.

"It's fine sir. Always a pleasure to have you around again."

"Do I detect sarcasm there Colonel?" He said squinting his eyes at her.

Sam shot him that Carter gin that he had missed so much while in Washington. "Of course not." She said.

"Sure…sure." He said not believing her.

She shook her head at him. "We all miss you sir."

_Did you miss me Carter?_

"Oh I'm sure. After all who's going to fill my shoes of being a wise cracking pain in the ass."

"Those are pretty big shoes to fill." She said with a laugh.

"Aren't they though?" Jack said brightly.

Sam's eyes strayed to the clock on the nightstand and he understood immediately. She was going to be late for her date.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry but I really have to go. There's beer in the fridge and you're welcome to watch TV."

"Thanks."

Sam turned to leave but Jack's voice stopped her. "Listen Carter…are you going to bring him back here? Because I can get a room at a motel or something…"

Her eyes were wide and she fervently shook her head. "No…God…no I'm not bringing him back here." She told him.

Jack nervously stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared at the ground. "Are you going to be home tonight?" He whispered.

"Yes I'll be back tonight." She walked out of the room and Jack managed to throw a good luck after her. He heard the front door close and he went to the window to look out. Jack pulled the curtains back slightly and he saw her pull away from the curb.

He sighed and turned back around wondering what he was going to do while he waited for her to get home.

_Hours after she had come to see him they had laid in bed together with his arm wrapped around her, her head rested on his chest and their fingers intertwined on his stomach._

"_That was just…wow." She had said sleepily._

"_Oh yeah. We should have done that years ago." Jack had said brightly._

_Sam had chuckled at him. "Well there were regulations in place." She had said pointedly. _

"_Not then." Because he had thought if they would have done that before, A. they would have gotten a court-martial and B. there would have been no way he could have gone back to just being friends and coworkers._

_Hell he hadn't been sure they could go back to being friends now._

"_I meant after you transferred to Area 51_ _and I was in Washington...we could have done this then." He had trailed off softly._

"_I don't know...I guess the timing was never right." Sam had whispered to him._

"_Yeah…" He had trailed off regretfully._

"_But the timing was right, now."_

"_So it was." He had said with a grin on his face._

Maybe thought the timing hadn't been so right…because here he was alone in her house…and she was out with another man.

Jack groaned and walked over to the couch and turned on the Simpsons, knowing that even his favorite TV show couldn't stop the jealously that he felt.

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_Author's Note- I'm hoping to be able to update this story more then once a week. So far it's been a breeze to write…hopefully it stays like that. Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!_


	6. Doubting Logic

**Doubting Logic**

Sam slowly got out of her car at her house. The date had gone okay but there hadn't been any sparks. None whatsoever. He had been a nice guy and he was close to her age.

But she was more into older men…with silver hair and big brown eyes and a sense of humor that could…Sam shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had gotten rid of the sexual tension between them. She shouldn't have thoughts like that running around her head anymore. She was attracted to Jack, he was a good looking man and any woman would be attracted to him.

That's all she felt for him. He was her former CO, and now her temporary CO, and he was her friend. But that's where the feelings ended.

She unlocked the door and closed it behind her. As she turned around she was startled to see a man in the shadows, leaning casually against the wall in the hallway.

Jack.

"General…sir…I didn't see you there."

"Sorry Carter." Jack said as he walked towards her.

"Umm…it's 0100 at night what are you still doing up?" She asked curiously.

Jack shifted awkwardly. "I just thought I'd make sure you got in okay." He said.

"Oh well thank you sir." She said with a small smile.

Sam walked passed him and headed to her room down the hall. "I'll be right back." She said as she shut the door behind her.

"So how was the date?" Jack yelled in.

"It was alright." She told him honestly through the door as she changed into her Pajamas.

"What did you end up doing?"

"We went to dinner and then we went to this little place where music was playing and we talked for a while." She said as she went into her master bathroom to wash her face.

There was silence for a moment before Jack yelled. "Oh…so you danced with him then?"

Sam was silent for a moment as she walked across her room and opened the door. He was standing there once more with his hands in his pockets. Anyone else who would have looked at him would assume that that was his casual pose. But she knew him better than that. He was concerned about something and she really had no idea what.

"No…we didn't dance." She said softly.

"Ah. Why not?" He said confused.

"He wasn't much of a dancer I guess…" She said shrugging her shoulders.

Jack shot her one of those crooked smiles that always managed to make her heart skip a beat.

"Come on." He said as he nodded his head towards her kitchen.

She followed him out to the hardwood floor of the kitchen and he looked around.

"Ah!" He said as he spotted her radio in the corner. He turned it on and tuned it to an oldies station.

"Want to dance?" He asked with a grin.

"Uh..um…" Sam said not really sure how to answer.

Jack walked towards her and took one of her hands in his and put his other hand on her waist.

Jack slowly moved her with the music.

…_Every journey always brings me back to you_

_After All the stops and starts_

_We keep coming back to these two hearts_

_Two angels who've been rescued from the fall_

_After All that we've been through_

_It all comes down to me and you_

_I guess it's meant to be_

_Forever you and me, After All._

They started a respectful distance away from each other, but during the course of the song Jack slowly pulled her closer and closer to him until suddenly there was no space separating them.

Sam swallowed against the confusing feelings swirling through her heart. Sam could feel the tingling that Jack's hand on her waist was causing, all the way to her toes. The guy that she had gone on that date with…he didn't cause any of these feelings in her.

It was that attraction that she had towards this man. That must be it she reasoned with herself. It was the only logical explanation. He was her friend, nothing more. She felt the same about Daniel, Teal'c or Cam.

But as she looked up into his gorgeous brown eyes, the smallest part of her questioned her logic. She didn't flush when the guys looked at her. Her heart didn't skip a beat at their smiles. And their touch most definitely did not cause her to feel tingly all over.

_As she had left Jack's house she had a bad feeling. Like the ones she had when missions were going to go wrong…or when she was going to marry the wrong man._

_This feeling had been lased with regret. Like she had been making some big huge mistake by leaving him. Her finger nails had bit into the steering wheel and finally she couldn't take it any longer._

_She had pulled over to the side of the road and rested her head on the steering wheel. She had needed a moment to figure out the emotions that she was feeling. And needed to figure out what she was going to do about them. _

_She had contemplated going back. _

_She hadn't even been able to pinpoint what the emotion that she had been feeling, let alone know what to do about it. The feeling had felt like she was supposed to be there…that somehow she had missed something incredibly important in her life. Like she had missed out on something good and wonderful. As if she had just turned her back on something that could have given her life purpose and meaning. As if she had walked away from love._

_But she had reminded herself, she didn't love Jack. Not that way. She was incredibly attracted to him…but more then that…no. He didn't love her and she didn't love him._

_One night was what they had promised. They hadn't promised love and a relationship. Just a night. And she had gotten that, it was time to move on._

_She sighed and pulled out onto the road again and headed back to the airport. _

She had always suspected that he could dance…and now here he was twirling her across her kitchen.

The song soon ended though. Jack dropped his hand from her waist and released her hand. He took a step back and she saw him swallow.

"Oh God…I'm sorry…that was stupid of me to do that." Jack said as he put his hand behind his neck and stared at the ground.

"It's alright sir…nothing happened. It was just a dance." Sam said with a shrug. Just a dance...a dance between friends...friends that seemed to be on fire every time they touched each other.

"Of course." He said agreeing with her.

The awkwardness soon returned between them. God it wasn't supposed to be like this. How had she been so wrong? She had been so sure that there wouldn't be any of _this _between them after that night. But if anything it had intensified. At least before they had been able to have a normal conversation with each other.

Jack shifted from one foot to the other.

"So…there's a marathon of the Simpsons on tonight…want to watch them with me?" He said grinning.

"That would be nice sir." She said as she walked out into her living room.

They sat a respectful distance away from each other but as the show went on, Sam soon became more and more tired. By the time her eyes closed, her head was laying contently on Jack's shoulder and she was soon curled up next to him on the couch.

And she had never felt so safe and content in all her life...even if she would never admit that to herself.

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_Author's Note- So I hope you all didn't mind that little bit of fluff I threw in there. Jack wanted to hold the woman he cares about in his arms, how was I as a writer able to deny him that pleasure? There's going to be lots of angst later on down the line though, so for all you angst lovers out there, never fear! The song by the way is 'After All' by Peter Cetera and Cher, I don't own it. Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!_


	7. How it Could be

**How it Could Be**

Jack slowly opened his eyes and felt a warm soft body curled up next to his side. He looked to his right and saw Sam with her legs tucked under her and her head resting against his shoulder. He smiled softly and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

He glanced at his watch and noticing it was 0300 he slowly picked her up and cradled her against him. His heart skipped a beat as he gazed at the woman who he held in his arms. The irony wasn't lost on him…in another reality he could have been carrying her to _their _room and he could have been spending the night in their bed, not down the hall in another room. Nothing good would come of thinking like that now though. This was how she wanted it and this was how it was going to stay.

But he couldn't help thinking how hard it was going to be seeing her and not being able to run his fingers through her hair. Seeing her soft beckoning lips and not being able to kiss them. To hear her call everyone else by their first names, knowing she would only be calling him 'sir' or 'General' never 'Jack'. Knowing that in another reality out there, Samantha Carter had let Jack O'Neill love her for more than just one night.

He slowly walked into her room, not even bothering to turn the light on, and laid her gently on the bed, being careful not to wake her.

As he gazed down at her he had the almost overwhelming desire to lean down and place a kiss on her lips. But he resisted the urge. And if she would wake up…that would be very bad. Kissing your temporary 2IC while she was in her bed…so not the best career move to make.

He turned to go and started heading to the door.

"Hmmm…Jack." She said sleepily.

The word halted him in his tracks and he turned back to gaze at her, his heart in his throat.

Was she dreaming about him? She was sound asleep…and she'd never speak his name out loud to him…only when he was about to die…or when she was in his bed.

He smiled softly at her before he headed back to his room. As he laid in bed his mind kept drifting to the woman down the hall. She hadn't given much details on her date and he knew it wasn't really his business. It was her life after all. He'd been through this once before when she had been engaged to Pete. He supported her then in whatever decision she made and he'd sure as Hell do it again. He didn't have the right to be anything more than a friend to Sam and he just had to get over it, he chastised himself.

A sigh escaped his lips and he closed his eyes, knowing that sleep was a long time coming.

*****

Sam opened her eyes and blinked in confusion. She was laying in her bed…but the last thing she remembered was watching the Simpsons with Jack on the couch…how had she gotten to her bed?

She sat up and blinked, rubbing her eyes in the process. He must have put her here.

Sam groggily got out of bed and walked into the hallway. She yawned and bumped into something warm and wet.

"Oh! Sorry sir…I didn't see…" Her voice trailed off when she looked at him. All he had on was a towel around his waist and a phone was in his hand. Wow did he ever look good wet she thought. But then again he looked good all the time, so no surprise there.

_She had laid against his side with her head propped up against her arm and her other hand was making circles on Jack's bare chest._

_As she had looked at him her eyes had roved over his features. From his lips which she had really wanted pressed against hers at that moment, to his very ruffled hair which her hands running through his hair had caused, to his gorgeous eyes that had been trained on hers. _

"_Whatja thinking about?" He had asked her._

"_Nothing." She had said._

"_Really? You've been quiet for a while, red flags are starting to go up for me." Jack had said teasing her._

"_Well if you must know…I was thinking about you." _

"_Me? What about?" He had asked confused._

"_Well you're pretty…" Sam's voice had trailed off._

"_I'm pretty what…old? Grouchy?" Jack had said squinting his eyes at her._

"_Sexy." She had said with a grin. _

_His eyes had lit up and he shot her that grin that she hadn't seen in years. The one that lit up his face and made its way all the way up to his eyes. _

"_Well thank you ma'am. You're not so bad yourself." _

_Sam had bit her lip to keep the smile off her lips and she raised her eyebrow at him doing a Teal'c impersonation._

"_Okay you're like the most beautiful scientist I've ever met." _

_Sam had grinned at him and said "Am I now?"_

"_Oh yes." He had said as his lips descended to hers and he kissed her senseless._

Her eyes were fixated on his chest. Really how did the man stay that fit? He had a desk job for crying out loud! She really could get used to seeing that man with his shirt off everyday…

"Carter?" He said.

Sam mentally shook her head and met his gaze. She felt a flush creep up her face when she saw the twinkle in his eyes. Yes it seemed he knew _exactly _what he did to her when he was without a shirt. Damn.

"Sorry about uh walking around in your house like this…I left my phone in the room and I heard it ringing…" He said uncomfortably.

"Oh….you're fine sir." She said quickly.

Jack's eyebrows rose and Sam wished that the floor would just open up and swallow her whole.

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded." Sam said embarrassed.

Jack pointed over his shoulder to the guestroom. "I'm going to get changed."

"Good idea sir." She said. Then maybe her breathing would come back to normal.

Sam shook her head and walked back into her bedroom and headed to her bathroom to get ready for the day.

When she walked out she found Jack sitting at her dinning room table with his hands behind his head. He looked her up and down and then sighed.

"Carter, isn't it your day off?" He questioned her.

"Yes sir…but I have a lot of work that I need to catch up on in my lab…" She said trailing off.

"Ah yes messing around with your little doohickies." Jack said.

"Yes….who was on the phone?" She questioned.

"Daniel. It seems there's a snag with those negotiations with our allies, I'm needed at the SGC as well."

Sam smiled at him, and for a second she debated asking her next question. "General, that world famous omelet that you talked about years ago…I wouldn't mind trying it." She bit her lip and looked down at the ground, wondering if that was too forward. She glanced up from behind her eyelashes and she saw that he was grinning.

"Yeah sure ya betcha." He said getting up.

"I can make it…" She said trailing off.

Jack laughed at her. "Carter I've had your MRE's." He said fondly. "Let me do this."

Sam swallowed nervously but nodded her head anyway.

The small part of her wondered why he seemed so right standing there in her kitchen, making them breakfast.

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_Author's Note- Just a few things to clarify real quick. I'm writing this story with the thought in mind that after giving themselves completely to one another that they would be more open with each other. The next chapter is sort of fluffish also and then it will get into action…I think. Thanks to all you that are still reading and enjoying this, you have no idea how much it means! Special thanks to GateSeeker2 for the idea of Sam running into Jack as he walked out of the shower. Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know. _


	8. Scars

**Scars**

Sam sat in her lab, in the middle of what seemed like a hundred different projects.

"Sam!" A sing songy voice called as she walked in and plopped herself down on one of the chairs in the lab.

Sam closed her eyes. As much as she loved Vala like a sister she really had things to do.

"Need something?" Sam asked her.

"Not really. I just thought I'd come say hi." Vala said.

"You're bored aren't you?" Sam said with a smile.

"You have no idea. I can't even bother Daniel because he's in the middle of that new treaty negotiations. And there's really not that much to do on base…" She said dramatically.

"I'd love to talk Vala but I have things that…" She started to say but Vala cut her off.

"Please Sam….don't make me beg. I need another girl to talk to and we haven't talked in a very long time."

How Vala managed to make a person feel guilty like that Sam had no idea. "Fine." Sam said with a sigh.

"Great! Now about Jack O'Neill…" Vala said grinning.

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously she said "What about him?"

"Well that man…He's quite sexy…a bit old for my taste…but wow. And you got to work with that man for 8 _years_."

"Your point?" Sam asked.

"How long before you had sex with him?" Vala asked.

"Vala! God, you can't say something like that." Sam chastised.

"Why not?" Vala said defensively.

"Because General O'Neill is an Air Force officer. There are regulations in place and two people serving under the same command can't be in that sort of relationship."

"You mean you never had sex with him…" Vala said.

Sam swallowed, she didn't want to lie to her but she couldn't exactly tell her the truth either.

"Well…I find that hard to believe. Even yesterday during the debriefing you were staring at him…I felt sure that there was something going on between you two." She said as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Sam squirmed under Vala's gaze.

"Well if you're not sleeping with him I guess that means that I can have a shot at him…" Vala started to say.

"No! I mean yes…I mean…" Sam said defensively.

"Ha! I knew it! There _is _something going on between you two." She said with a grin.

"No…listen there was something…when he was in Washington and when the Air Force regulations weren't in place, but right now there's not something going on." Sam swallowed before continuing. "And if you want to flirt with him or sleep with him then that's really none of my concern." She ignored the flash of pain at the thought of Jack being involved with Vala. Sam couldn't meet her eyes.

"Sam…I was only kidding. I'm not interested in him." Vala got off the chair and walked to the door. "But I do think he's interested in _you_." She said over her shoulder as she walked out of the room.

Sam closed her eyes in an attempt to block out Vala's words…it wasn't working so well.

_Sam, in no hurry to fall back asleep, had laid next to Jack and stared at the ceiling. That little part of her had known that no matter how this experiment might turn out in the end, it had been worth it. For years she had dreamed of this moment, of being here in this place and time with this man. And here she was. _

_With a smile on her lips she had turned over and faced Jack's bare back. She had reverently lifted her hand to touch the faded scars there._

_She had known that he would have scars, some of them had accord from injuries sustained from the Stargate program…some from before that. _

_But she hadn't expected so many. _

_She had known that she had scars too, always would, it was part of the job. _

_Seeing so many of those scars on this mans back, seeing what this man had gone through, she had a hard time wrapping her mind around it. The scars had seemed to tell a story. A story of a man just trying to service his country, and this was the payback that he received. Ugly twisted scars, some deep and some were faded. Some she had known would have caused excruciating pain. Pain that this man in no way had deserved. _

_And she had wondered how he had managed to stay so kind and so loving. Wondered how it hadn't left him twisted and bitter. She had seen many soldiers come back from war, having their very souls ruined, and had become a completely different person then when they had left._

_As she had lightly touched his skin, her fingers lightly caressing the scars she wished for a moment that she could take away those scars, those memories from him. _

_And she had realized she had known Jack O'Neill…but maybe, just maybe she hadn't realized the real person underneath it all. Maybe she hadn't fully comprehended until that moment what sort of person it took to live through all that man had seen…and to overcome it. _

_She had known he had been held prisoner in an Iraqi prison for four months. She had known he had buried a son far too young, after an accidental gun shot wound from Jack's gun. She had known he had been repeatedly killed and tortured by Ba'al over and over again. Had known that he had done some damn distasteful things in the service of his country…but what else had he seen? What else had this man been through?_

_With new eyes she had looked at Jack. And she had just begun to realize that she wanted to be apart of this man's life, this man who had been through so much and who had somehow become a better man because of it all._

_But the situation that she had found herself in was just as complicated as those scars on his back. And so like those scars that would never go away, this one night, if that was all she would have from him, would never go away. _

Sam swallowed down the emotions in her throat and turned back to the papers laying on her desk. She had work to do.

*****

Jack sat in the commissary with a pounding headache. The new treaty negotiations were going nowhere. Here he had always thought that Washington's politicians were the worst…it seemed other 'politicians' from other worlds were worse!

"Hi Jack." Daniel said as he set his tray off food down on the table and took the seat across from him.

Jack closed his eyes. Great just who he needed the Space Monkey to come and make his headache twice as worse.

"So how's it going?" Daniel asked in between bites.

"Not so well." He said.

Daniel looked at him. "Oh."

Jack just continued eating his food.

"So are you dating anyone?" Daniel asked after a few minutes of silence.

Jack stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. "What?"

"What?" Daniel asked confused.

"No Daniel I'm not dating anyone." Jack said shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He hated talking to anyone like this.

Daniel smiled softly. "Oh…you know I always thought that after you left that you and Sam would…"

"Would…what?" He asked.

"Get together…"

"Now why would you think that?" Jack asked skeptically.

"Well you two flirted enough with each other…it would have just seemed natural." Daniel said with a shrug.

"Yeah…well…"

"So you and her never…" Daniel started to say but Jack cut him off.

"Daniel can we _please _drop this right now?" Jack said.

"Fine." Daniel said as he started eating his good once again.

"Good." Jack said blinking his eyes, amazed that Daniel had decided to quite bugging him about something for once.

It seemed like everyone knew that Sam and him belonged together. Except for the woman in question.

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_Author's Note- So I have a feeling this story might be longer then 15 chapters…I'll keep you guys updated. Hopefully the "action" will start soon! Just a heads up…not sure how many flashback I'm going to be able to fit in so I may not use them every chapter form now on. Thanks for reading and let me know if you liked it!_


	9. A Feeling That He Couldn't Shake

**A Feeling That He Couldn't Shake**

A week later SG-1 gathered in the briefing room. Jack came out of the office and rubbed the back of his neck. The treaty negotiations were in a stand still. None of the parties it seemed could agree on anything. With a sigh Jack sat at the end of the briefing table.

"Morning Campers." Jack said without any enthusiasm.

A chorus of 'Good mornings' circled around the table, except for Daniel who was just as groggy as Jack.

"Okay first things first. Daniel you won't be going on this mission because of the treaty negotiations." He said pointedly.

"Jack…I am needed on this mission. It's a new culture that we haven't encountered before, and one of a few that isn't under Ori control." Daniel said.

"No can do. You're staying here." Jack's eyes traveled to Sam sitting on his right. "Tell me more about this planet Colonel." He asked her.

"Well the people of the society are about at the turn of the 20th century technologically wise. And the Ori have yet to visit their world. They would be a great people to have as our allies against the Ori." Sam told him.

Jack thought for a moment. "Alright SG-1 you have a go." Jack said with a nod to SG-1. "I'll meet you in the embarkation room in half an hour."

"Thank you sir." Cam said. Sam just sent Jack a smile.

Jack smiled softly at them before getting up and walking back to the office.

His gut was telling him that something didn't feel right. With a sigh and a shake of his head he went back to his work, and for once wishing he was back in Washington. Where he didn't to worry constantly about Samantha Carter.

Thirty minutes later, SG-1 minus Daniel were dressed and ready to go through the gate. Jack quickly walked into the demarcation room.

"Alright don't forget to call home every 6 hours. Keep your heads down…don't get into any trouble…Vala don't touch anything." Jack said.

Vala threw her hands up into the air. "I have no idea what you're talking about" She said dramatically.

Sam and Cam shook their heads and chucked at her and Teal'c raised his eyebrow at her.

"Good luck SG-1" He said as the chevrons were engaged and the Stargate came to life.

Sg-1 walked up the gate and Jack threw a quick "Don't miss you're curfew!" at their retreating backs. They stepped through and after a few seconds the Stargate shut down.

Jack stared at the Stargate, his hands shoved into his pockets. And he remembered before when she had walked away.

_He had quickly gotten out of bed and changed his clothes. A quick glance at the clock had told him that he still had time to catch her, to tell her all that he had felt in his heart._

_Grabbing the keys off the table he had quickly locked up and headed out the door. Quickly getting into his truck he started the car, intent on going for her._

_But he hesitated. She had made it clear what she wanted. Their whole relationship through the years had been based on her, what she wanted. She had always been the one to make the first move. As she had also been the one to make this first move. _

_He had waited after she had broken it off with Pete, had hoped that she would come to him. And she never had. _

_This had been her decision. If she just wanted to leave it how it was, and just walk away…then he'd let her. He wouldn't stop her. _

_She had already made her choice. She had walked away. It had been up to her. The decision was made._

_With a sigh Jack had pulled the keys out of the ignition and walked back up to his house. He hadn't been able to shake the feeling that she wasn't going to change her mind. This was how it was going to be._

Jack glanced one last time at the Stargate before heading to join Daniel in his Lab.

The feeling that something was going to go wrong still hadn't left him.

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_Author's Note- I posted this a few hours early because I'm graduating from High School tonight. Sorry for the short chapter! I'm sure there are some grammar mistakes and I'll fix them in a few days. Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!_


	10. Admitting

_Author's Note- I'm so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted. I've been so busy having a lot of graduation stuff, my birthday, having college orientations and picking classes all in the space of three weeks. I am hoping to be able to post more regularly now that the chaos have died down a bit. Thank you all for the congratulations and to those who were wondering yes I am going onto college. I'm majoring in Earth and Space science to be a teacher. Now on with the story!_

**Admitting**

Jack flipped his pen back and forth on the briefing room table, the taping doing nothing to calm his nerves. He knew he shouldn't be nervous, they had checked in every six hours for the past two days. Everything checked out as normal and there were no sign of the Ori.

But that did nothing to help him. Only when she was safe and sound back at the SGC would be allow himself to relax. Only until she was safe once again.

"We must band together if we wish to defeat them, surly this world has technology that will help us." The tall skinny man, named Cram, from the planet Braham said.

The heavy set man across the table, from the planet Graden and who's name was Aden, shook his head. "Can they really hope to defeat such powerful beings? They have promised to leave us alone if we will just worship them."

Jack decided that now was a perfect time to jump in.

"We've kicked ass before." Jack said.

Daniel shot him a look to shut him up before saying "We know how to handle them."

"Listen folks, we can't tell you what to believe. But we know what they are capable of. They've killed tens of thousands of people and they won't hesitate to kill you as well."

"Should we then just agree to worship them? It seems that both our people are doomed either way." Aden said.

Jack didn't miss the fear in the man's eyes.

"We must both talk to our people." Cram said getting up from the table.

Jack let out a sigh of relief as both parties left the room. Finally the negotiations were going somewhere. He pushed himself back and got up from the table, letting out a groan.

Some days he missed having a field job. Missed keeping an eye on Carter. He had always protectively watched her, his eyes never straying far from her on a mission. And now here he was stuck at the SGC, helpless to do anything if something went wrong.

"Oh Jack wait. Next week we're having a team night to celebrate Cam's two years on SG-1, it's at O'Malley's and we thought you'd want to come along." Daniel asked.

"Sure…I never turn down steaks…or beer."

"Great." Daniel said as he walked off.

Jack yawned and once again his eyes strayed to his watch. Three more hours and she'd be home…

Suddenly the alarms sounded. "Unscheduled off world activation!" Walter said.

Jack's heart plummeted and he hurriedly made his way down the stairs and into the control room.

"It's SG-1 sir."

Jack quickly spoke into the radio. "Mitchell what's wrong?"

"We're coming in hot! Open the iris!"

"Do it." Jack ordered.

"Sir we needed a medical team, Sam was hit." Cam's voice said over the radio.

For a moment he stood still, his world turning on its axis. She was hit…she needed a medical team.

But in an instant the soldier in him took over and he hurried to the phone and barked orders for a medical team.

Jack quickly made his way down into the gate room, his heart pounding like he'd just run a marathon.

Cam came through first, then Vala and finally Teal'c…carrying _her_.

And then he finally admitted to himself, what he had only whispered in the dark recesses of the night.

_He hadn't known how long he had laid next to her, just watching her sleep. But he had wanted to get every trace of her memorized, wanted to store it away in case this was all he would have. Those eyes and those lips burned into his memory forever._

_And in an instant he had finally understood. That thing that had been between them for years, wasn't just sexual attraction. It went deeper then that, went down to the very core of his heart._

_He'd been too blind to see it till now. Her even breathing had given him the courage to speak._

"_I love you." He had whispered to her._

_She had continued sleeping, unaware of what he had said. _

_And for a moment he had wished that she'd been awake. But then he had known he'd only tell it to her now. He wouldn't say it in the morning, wouldn't say it ever again. This was the only time he would whisper that to her. Only in the dead of night when she wouldn't hear. So he wouldn't have to see the look of disbelief on her face. Wouldn't have to see her try to come up with something else to say. Wouldn't have to see her rejection._

But now he could deny it no longer.

He loved her.

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_Author's Note- Okay right now I'm looking at, at least six more chapters to this story, if not more. But that's all subject to change. Thanks for reading and let me know if you liked it!_


	11. Please

_Author's Note- So sorry everyone! My computer died for about three weeks there and it's finally (almost) fixed. I should be able to update more regularly now._

**Please**

"What the hell happened?" Jack asked anxiously as the medical team brushed by him. Teal'c gently sat her down on the ramp. "They lied to us sir." Cam said angrily.

"Indeed." The Jaffa said stoically in agreement.

"Explain."

"We were about to dial the stargate when they ambushed us. Came right out of the tree line with no warning. We managed to dial in but Sam was hit." Cam turned concerned eyes on her.

"Is she alright, Doc?" Jack asked Dr. Lam.

"The blast cut right through the vest insert. It's only a flesh wound, but if she wouldn't have had it on…" Dr. Lam didn't need to say what would have happened.

She wouldn't be alive.

"Let's get her to the infirmary." She said as the nurses gently lifted her onto the gurney.

Jack knew he should have listened to his gut. It had saved him,_ them_, on more than one occasion. This time it had been too close.

******

SG-1 stayed near her for most of the day. But when she awoke, he was the first there when she opened her eyes.

"Hey Carter." He said as he walked to her side, his hand resting on the bed by her side.

"Sir." She said wincing.

"You feeling okay?" Jack asked concerned.

"My stomach…and my head…but other then that I think I'm okay." She said honestly.

"Dr. Lam said that the blast sent you flying to the ground and you hit your head. It gave you a slight concussion and you have a second degree burn but she said you'll pull through. And that super smart brain of yours is fine." Jack said trying to joke with her.

"That's good…" She said.

"Yup." Jack said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted awkwardly.

"I better go…" He said pointing to the door.

He turned to leave.

"Sir…can you stay…please?" The soft pleading voice shooting straight into his heart.

For so many years, every time one of them were hurt they stayed by their side. Never venturing too far away. But every time they awoke for one reason or another the other left almost immediately.

But not this time.

She'd asked him to stay. And she had said please. The one word that could make him do just about anything. Even take a Tok'ra symbiote.

"Sure." He said as he pulled his chair up next to her bed.

Jack hand once more lay on the bed by her side. Sam slowly moved her hand over to it, not touching but there all the same.

"How are the Cubs doing this season?" Sam asked brightly.

Jack grinned "I think they have a chance this season…"

And they chatted for a few more minutes before Sam fell asleep once more.

He didn't move his chair. But his thoughts were a million miles away once more.

_A movement had startled him awake._

_As he slowly opened his eyes and blinked around he found Sam thrashing around in the bed._

_He had laid a soothing hand on her shoulder._

"_We left him behind…oh God…he's stuck…can't get to him…" Sam mumbled in her sleep, crying._

"_Sam…it's okay…you're having a nightmare." He had murmured into her ear._

"_Jack…" She had said._

"_I'm here…"_

_Slowly she had opened her eyes, and when she did her arms went around his neck and held on for all she was worth._

"_What happened?" Jack had asked softly._

_He knew she had seen some pretty bad things in her career, every soldier did. But something had caused her to have nightmares like this. _

"_I was having a nightmare…of when you were on Edora…and we couldn't get to you." She had whispered._

_Jack had blinked at that knowledge. "You've had this nightmare before?"_

"_Yes…mostly when you were gone and we found you. And it's recently come back again."_

"_You didn't have feelings for me then…" Jack had said confused._

"_It's what made me know I had feelings that were starting to go beyond the professional." She said softly into the dark. "I missed that you didn't come to bother me when I was working on projects. That you weren't there to make me laugh at one of your jokes. I missed…a lot."_

_He'd had to deal with his own nightmares more than once through the years. Some had included her, some hadn't. _

_She had still been visibly shaking so he had done the only thing he knew to do._

"_C'mere." He said and he had pulled her into a deeper embrace._

_Sleep had been a long time coming for either one of them._

******

A few hours later Jack had still remained at his side. Daniel had taken over the negotiation treaty and hadn't questioned when he said he wanted to stay here, by her side, unless there was an emergency.

"General O'Neill?" A voice said from the infirmary doorway.

Jack turned to look and found Aden, the negotiator from the planet of Graden standing at the door.

"Need something?" Jack asked as he walked over to the man.

"We were told that a friend of yours was hurt from an Ori staff weapon." Aden said as he peeked behind the man.

Jack moved out of the way so that the man could see Sam.

"She will be alright?"

"Yes…luckily." Jack said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"These Ori weapons, they are not powerful? She was not gravely hurt?" Aden said confused.

"They are powerful. She had a vest on that protected from her…if she hadn't had it on she wouldn't be alive right now." Jack said refusing to let the emotion show in his voice.

He knew he was failing.

"This could happen to my people…without these vests?" He said.

Jack nodded a yes.

"That could be my daughter….my wife…laying there." Aden said gravely.

"Yes." Jack said softly as he watched Sam sleeping.

Aden glanced at Jack. "This woman…you care about her?"

Jack remained quiet but shifted uncomfortably.

"She means a great deal to you." Aden said with a nod of his head.

And for once, Jack didn't deny it.

He wasn't even sure how much longer he _could_ deny it.

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_Author's Note- I should be starting on the next chapter soon, so the wait shouldn't be that much longer! Thanks for reading and let me know if you like it._


	12. Now or Never

_Authore's Note- Second chapter in 24 hours, woohoo! Inspiration for this chapter came from Gateseeker2, my official sounding board for this fic. Enjoy!_

**Now or Never**

A week later, and Sam was released from the infirmary. The burn wouldn't be healed for weeks but Dr. Lam had told her that if she moved as little as possible that she should be able to do most of her normal activities.

Except that Sam was suspended from active duty until it completely healed.

So instead she spent her time in her lab, burying herself in her work.

And every single day _he_ came in. And somehow they had started a ritual of everyday going to the commissary and grabbing some Jell-O. And they talked and chatted and caught up on each others lives.

She had missed it, had missed him, while he was in Washington. It wasn't the same without him around. And it felt more than a little bit good that he was back.

But she knew that wasn't going to be for long. General Landry was doing much better and was far exceeding what Dr. Lam had previously thought it would take him to recuperate.

Once again he would be out of her chain of command. But this time was she going to just let him go?

As Sam sat at her desk, she fiddled with her papers. That one question sparkying off a million different ones in her head. Did she want more than friendship with him? Did he? What would they do about living on opposite sides of the country? Had that night been a one time thing or was there more to it? Was all she felt for him attraction?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she went back to her work. There was a time and place for her to think on those questions.

That time wasn't now.

******

SG-1 sat in the booth at O'Malleys. The corner booth wasn't really big enough for six people and Sam found herself squished between Jack and Teal'c.

She tried not to notice the electric spark that went through her when Jack's hand accidently brushed her leg, or how his breath felt on her neck when he leaned over to say something to her.

"Daniel?" Vala said sweetly.

"Yes…" He said suspiciously.

"How do the humans of Earth view one night stands?" She asked innocently.

The load music of the bar made it impossible for anyone to overhear the conversation.

Sam almost chocked on her diet Pepsi. God Vala wouldn't do that to her, would she? Bring up what she had told her weeks ago…either that or Vala had seen one too many daytime TV shows.

Daniel scrunched up his eyebrows and cleared his throat. "Well…here on earth not much has changed through the years, in ancient Mesopotamia men had multiple wives and it was customary to uh…sleep around, as it were. Century's later people still do that." Daniel said with a touch of sadness.

Vala scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "I just don't understand that Daniel. When you know two people are perfect for each other. But they can't see it…it doesn't make sense." She said whining.

"Indeed." Teal'c said.

"See!" Vala said waving her hand at Teal'c. "Even Muscles thinks I'm right. I'm not the only alien who doesn't understand." And on that note she crossed her arms across her chest and sighed.

"Well my grandma always used to say that once you've known another person intimately, their forever branded into your heart. And even though you might move on, nothing ever makes you completely forget them." Cam said speaking up.

"Oh I agree." Daniel said nodding his head.

"How about you Sam?" Daniel asked.

Sam shifted slightly. "Oh…I don't see anything _that _wrong with it. And who ever said that just because you're with someone means you have to spend the rest of your life with them? Have you seen the divorce rate? God, I've already blown two engagements…" She said rambling.

Awkward silence passed between the table.

"How about you Jack?" Daniel said clearing his throat.

"Oh …well I'm not much for them. Once you've known someone like that it's hard to go back to how things were…very hard." He said softly, looking down at the table.

This was new knowledge to her. He had gone along with her suggestion that they didn't take the thing between them any farther. But now he didn't like them…

The conversation left her with more than one unanswered questions.

Ones that could only be answered by him.

_She had flown to Washington DC to give a full briefing to the President on the Ori situation. Having done that he had told her to "see the sites". It had been a while since she was here and she had wanted to make the best of it._

_But somehow from the car ride to the museums she had gotten side tracked. She had fumbled that worn piece of paper out of her wallet. The one that had his address on it. In case she was ever in the area…or in case she needed him. _

_She had admitted to herself that she missed him. _

_And those feelings, that attraction, she had felt from the beginning were still there. The distance hadn't stopped it._

_She had known he wasn't seeing anyone…this could be the perfect time to explore the thing between them._

_Rules hadn't stood in their way now. It was now or never._

_She had chosen now._

She swallowed. And as she glanced at Jack out of the corner of her eyes she wondered what her choice would be in the coming days.

Now or never.

She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

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_Author's Note- Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know._


	13. Always

_Author's Note- Wow 200 reviews! Thank you so much, each one means a lot! I wanted to let you know that the rating on this chapter should go up a tad. There's some innuendo in the flashback. _

**Always**

Two more weeks and their relationship stayed the same. Jack still remained clueless about what to do about it, or lack thereof. For so long their relationship had been based on what she wanted to do.

She had been the one to keep their feelings locked in that room.

She had been the one to get a life first.

She had been the one to come to his doorstep.

She was the one that wanted it to remain a one time thing.

There wasn't any indication that she wanted something else.

And so he put on that façade, the one he had worn for years. Because maybe he couldn't be more to her, maybe he couldn't spend his life with her. But once upon a time he had promised her _always_, no strings attacked. And that promise he intended to keep, in whatever capacity she wanted.

And if she wanted him to be there as her friend and nothing more then he'd damn well be there.

Even if it ripped his heart out in the process.

To see her everyday, and know that he couldn't have her…a piece of his heart broke with every one of her smiles, or her laughs.

But he sat across from her in the commissary, and he put on that smile and he laughed at her jokes. And she was unaware of the turmoil going on inside of him.

"The Cardinals are going to win the division." Sam said matter of factly.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "Who are you and where's Carter?"

"I'm just stating the evidence sir." She said with a shake of her head.

"The Cubs are in first place…" He said defiantly.

"They're only a half game ahead!"

"A half game ahead still puts them in the lead. I can feel it this year." Jack said smugly.

"When was the last time they won a World Series?"

"Oh for crying out loud! You don't even _like_ baseball." He said.

She grinned at him, the one that lit up her whole face. The one that send a pang right through to his heart.

Because in a different time and place they could have had this conversation snuggled on the couch at his cabin, over a candle light dinner or in bed late at night.

Instead they were having it the middle of a crowded commissary. Talking over a piece of cake and blue Jell-O.

Jack cleared this throat. "Well…duty calls."

"Have fun sir." Sam said still smiling at him.

"Always."

And he wondered if she had any clue that he had intentionally picked that six letter word.

******

Jack yawned as he walked to General Landry's office. The treaty negotiations had been signed and both worlds had decided to fight the Ori.

He stopped in his tracks when he walked into the office.

"Jack."

"Hank…come to take your job back?" Jack said hopefully.

General Landry stood up from his desk. "Yes actually I have. Dr. Lam says I'll be able to return to active duty in a week. I'll be back then."

Jack's smile dimmed a bit. "That's great!"

"How's it been in my absence?"

"Oh well you know." Jack said as he went to sit in the chair across from him. "Treaty negotiations didn't go so great…Colonel Carter got hurt…the knee is starting to act up again…the usual."

"Miss your job don't you?" General Landry said chucking.

"Oh yeah."

"The President just called…he sends his thanks for a job well done. And that he expects to see you back at work soon."

Jack nodded his head and sighed. "You know…I've really considered retiring lately."

Hank sent him a confused look. "Really?"

"Yeah…I've done this job for how long…this body just isn't what it used to be." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Retirement…do you have a plan?" Hank said as he leaned back in his chair.

No he didn't have a plan but he was certain of one thing.

He wanted more than his desk job, more than just an almost unused cabin in the woods of Minnesota. He wanted a life.

With her.

_They had slowly made their way to the bedroom. He had backed her down the hall, kissing her lips, her neck. Drinking in the taste of her. And he hadn't been sure there was anything that tasted as good as her in that moment. _

_He placed a kiss at the tender flesh behind her ear and she had groaned. His fingers had tangled in her long blonde hair, his other arm had been wrapped around her waist. _

_Her arms had been around his neck, messing with the short silver hair._

_His hand at her waist had made its way up underneath her shirt and his hands had quickly gotten rid of the fabric in his way. He had pulled her closer to him and quickly they had found the bed. Clothes had been hurriedly taken off and thrown in a heap on the floor. A fire had been burning inside him and they lost themselves in the other._

_Exploring._

_Discovering. _

_Learning._

He wanted a life with her more than anything.

He wanted forever.

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_Author's Note- Sorry for the extremely short chapter, and I think there's only about 4 chapters left. The action doesn't pick up so much, but the angst definitely goes way, _way_ up in the coming chapters…did I mention the angst? Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know._


	14. Letting Go

**Letting Go**

Jack slowly packed away his clothes into his duffel bag. After the trade negotiations had been complete he had taken up residence in one of the quarters at the SGC.

But now he had been reassigned back to Washington. General Landry had once again taken command of the SGC.

His job was done.

Now he had to figure out what to do about the rest of his life.

A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in." He called.

She opened the door and peaked her head inside.

"Almost ready sir?" Sam asked.

Jack straightened automatically.

"Ah! Yeah I'm ready." He said turning to face her.

Sam opened the door the rest of the way and leaned against the door jam.

"Do you have your yoyo and Simpson dvds?"

Jack grinned and held them up.

"Yup…wouldn't leave without them."

She smiled at him and shook her head.

He knew he should say something…anything. Something to give her a reason to stop him. Something to make her not let him get on that plane.

But right now wasn't the right time…not while they were still in the SGC.

"Let's go." He said and followed her out the door.

******

The ride to Colorado Springs Municipal Airport was a short 15 minute drive from Cheyenne Mountain.

Sam walked with him as he made his way to the terminals.

Jack walked through the airport his hands stuffed into his pockets. Running through every possible scenario in his mind to convince her.

The picture in his wallet an ever present reminder of what he could have with her.

_He had been on the plane ride to Colorado Springs when he had pulled the picture out of his wallet._

_Daniel had taken the picture on that trip to his cabin, when they had finally defeated the Goa'uld and the replicators. And for a few days it had just been them together at the Cabin. But somehow they had never gotten around to talking about those feelings that they felt for the other. Jacob had just passed away and she had just broken up with her fiancé. It hadn't been the right time. _

_The picture was of the two of them together, taken outside of his cabin. He had been soaking wet and his arm had been around her waist, in the midst of pulling her into a hug. A very dry Sam had her hands on his chest, pushing him away. She was beaming and his smile had matched hers. The sun was shimmering off the water of his pond on that beautiful summer day._

_To anyone else the picture would have looked like a couple completely in love with each other. They had both looked so happy in it._

_His fingers had gently caressed the worn image. He hadn't known how many times he had pulled out the picture over the past two years. But whenever he had had a bad day, he would pull out that picture, and look at her. The picture never ceasing to cause a smile to form on his face. _

_The old lady next to him had caught a glimpse of the image._

"_She's beautiful." She had told him._

"_Yes. She is." He had agreed as his thumb caressed Sam's face in the photograph._

"_Is she your wife?" She had asked softly. _

_Jack had shook his head. She wasn't his wife in this reality, but in so many realities before she had been._

_The old lady had smiled. "You two look so in love…just like my Billy and me. Will you be seeing her when you get to Colorado?"_

"_Yes ma'am." Jack had said._

"_Tell her that you love her…I can see it in your eyes." She had told him softly._

They got on the escalator and as they made their way to the second level, he was all too aware that time was quickly running out.

"Well I guess this is where we say goodbye." Jack said softly.

"Yes sir."

Jack turned around and stared into her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes were unreadable.

"C'mere." He said and pulled her close into an embrace.

And at that moment he made of his mind. He had let her go once…he wasn't going to let her go again.

Not without at least trying.

He released her and glancing to his right he saw the greeters longue.

Perfect.

"We need to talk." He said softly.

"About…" Sam asked in confusion.

He inclined his head to the lounge and she followed him in. And for once luck was in his favor for the room was deserted.

Jack walked quickly over to the dark corner of the room.

He gazed at her, his eyes memorizing that beautiful face.

He leaned towards her, giving her amble time to move away. His intensions were clear. And in a second his hands were on either side of her face and his lips her on hers.

And he kissed her, everything he couldn't find words for, clearly spelled out in his kiss. The kiss was tender and loving and over way to quick.

Jack pulled back and searched her eyes, his thumbs stroking her cheeks.

"Tell me you don't feel anything for me…and I'll walk away right now. I won't bother you with this again. But I have to know." He whispered to her.

He had more regrets in his life then he could count. He wasn't going to make another one, not where she was concerned.

"I…I don't…I mean…" She whispered in a soft and trembling voice.

Her stuttered reply was all he needed.

She didn't feel the same.

"Alright." He said his voice cracking. Quickly he cleared his throat and repeated "Alright." His voice a tad bit stronger.

She moved her hand up to hold his by her cheek. His thumbs were still stroking her cheeks. He placed a quick kiss on the side of her lips before dropping his hands.

"Bye Carter." He said, this time his voice strong and steady, giving no indication that his heart was breaking.

"Bye…sir." She whispered to his retreating form.

She slowly walked out of the lounge and watched him as he went through security.

And when he was through he turned around, met her eyes and smiled sadly.

He walked away.

She didn't walk after him.

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_Author's Note- I had to do a bit of research for this chapter. Luckily Colorado Springs Airport had a perfect room for this to take place. Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!_


	15. Cold

**Cold**

Two weeks later Jack found himself driving down the deserted highway at night. The snow fell slowly down, as cold as his lonely life.

Two weeks…and not a word from her. Not a call, not an email, nothing.

He wondered if he screwed their relationship forever.

Maybe he should have just remained silence, let her be in control. But no he quickly told himself. At least he knew now. At least he didn't have any what ifs.

But he did have crushed dreams, and hopes.

The brochure sat on the dashboard, as if to mock him. The one of that cabin near Cheyenne Mountain, right next to that little lake. The one with a yard for a dog.

He pushed it to the back of his mind. If anything he'd retire up in that little cabin in Minnesota.

Alone.

Jack sighed and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. The music played in the background and he tried his best to ignore it. A love song was playing. reminding him that he didn't have the woman he loved with him.

That the woman he loved, didn't love him back.

The snow came down harder and Jack slowed his truck.

In the dark and snow, he never saw the dump truck as it crossed the median strip and hit him head on.

In an instant his world was thrust into darkness.

******

"So where are we off to today?" Cam said as he sat down at the briefing table.

Sam opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted as General Landry walked out.

"I just got a call from the president. SG-1 is on leave for the foreseeable future." He said.

SG-1 looked around in confused at each other.

"Respectfully sir…why?" Cam asked.

"Colonel Carter, Dr Jackson and Teal'c are to fly to Washington DC. General O'Neill was in a car accident last night, he's in a coma. It doesn't look good."

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_Author's Note- Sorry for the extremely short chapter. Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know._


	16. Realization

**Realization **

Sam's heart pounded in her chest.

"Do the doctor's think… he's going to make it?" She asked softly.

"They want his next of kin there…just in case." General Landry said gravely. "You're plane leaves in two hours SG-1."

Sam stood up on shaking knees. God she wished she was in some sort of dream.

Cam and Daniel both glanced at her from the corners of their eyes.

"Sam…are you okay?" Vala said as she walked up to her and touched her arm lightly.

"Yeah…yeah I'm okay." She said lying.

"No you're not…come on." Vala said as she ushered her out of the briefing room.

Vala followed her into her lab and Sam plopped down on the bench. She leaned her arms against the table and held her head in her hands.

Vala sat quietly and patiently in case Sam needed her.

"He'll be okay." She said softly.

Sam nodded her head in agreement. "But if he's not…"

"Don't think like that. Just go to him…have you told him how you feel yet?" Vala said in a soft, soothing voice.

She shook her head no. "I don't…he's been my friend for years. My confident and my mentor. He was there whenever I needed him, always. I've been attracted to him from the beginning…but that's it…" Sam's voice trailed off.

"Go pack your things Sam…" Vala said smiling slightly, sympathy written in her eyes.

Sam nodded her head and stood up.

She was back in soldier mode. And she buried her emotions out of self preservation.

He needed them…and she'd be there.

******

The plane ride to Washington DC was long and gave her much too long to think on her emotions.

Teal'c and Daniel were as distraught as she was. He was their friend as much as hers. They were all the family that any of them had.

When they got off the plane they quickly made their way to their hotel to drop off their luggage.

They then made found the hospital and quickly made their way to his room.

SG-1 walked into the sterile room and her heart broke as she saw the man in the bed.

The once strong man was broken, cuts and bruises marring his otherwise handsome face.

And like a video camera her mind flashed through scenes from the last few years.

_When he had been stuck on Edora and she had tried her best to get him back home, to them…to her._

_A force shield that had separated them, begging him to leave her behind. His heart wrenching no. The knowledge that what she had felt wasn't one sided._

_Laying her head against his shoulder. Not remembering much of a past life…but remembering feeling feelings._

_Her desperate 'sir…please' to save his life, to take a symbiote. And the knowledge that it had been her fault that he ended up being tortured to death multiple times by Ba'al._

_A hallucination of Jack, clad in khaki pants and a bright blue shirt, telling her that she deserved more. That he'd always be there for her, no matter what._

_A staff blast hitting him square in the chest. Leaving her position, her duty, to make sure that he was still alive. Telling him softly that she was glad he was okay, and being immediately wrapped in his arms._

_Lifting her hand gently to touching the stasis pod. His beautiful lifeless brown eyes dully staring back at her. _

_Showing him that ring, his uneasiness. His encouraging her to say yes._

_Watching her father as he slowly slipped away. And he had come in and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Promising her always._

_That week at his cabin, fishing in that pond. Laughing and smiling at each other because rules didn't stand in their way anymore._

_Drifting apart because of the distance. Never having that talk about how they felt about one another._

_Late at night as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear, and she fell asleep wrapped in his arms. _

And suddenly, in an instant, it all came crashing down.

She loved him. Had loved him all along. But she'd been too blind to realize it. Until now, when he was slowly slipping from her grasp.

"Hi sir." Sam said walking up to the side of the hospital bed.

Daniel and Teal'c walked around to the other side of the bed. Daniel caught Sam's eyes and she didn't miss the worry there.

She prayed to whoever was out there listening for him to open his brown eyes.

He didn't.

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_Author's Note- There's only two more chapters! (I think) Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know._


	17. Memories

**Memories**

"You're his team mates?" The Doctor said as she walked into the room.

"Yes. How's he doing?" Sam asked.

"General O'Neill is doing remarkable well all things considering. He has scrapes and bruises which are to be expected. He has a broken rib and a severe concussion. He's breathing on his own which is an excellent sign. He could wake in a few hours or a few days. It'll be good for him to have people that love him around when he wakes up." The doctor said sympathetically.

"Thank you Doctor." Daniel said.

The doctor smiled at them before turning to leave.

"He's very lucky…in a head on accident like that…it could have been a much different story." The doctor said softly before leaving the room.

Sam swallowed her emotions and turned her eyes back to the man in the bed.

Yes it could have been a whole hell of a lot different. They could have flown in to identity his body, or to make funeral arrangements…

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. That wasn't what had happened. They were here and he was going to be fine.

He had to be.

******

For the next two days Daniel and Teal'c took turns staying with him.

She never left his side.

Daniel tried to convince her to go to the cafeteria to get some food. She refused and he ended up bringing her some food up to the room.

Teal'c tried to convince her that she needed rest. Once again she refused and made herself comfortable in the hard hospital chair.

And so she sat next to him, watching him.

As she studied him, memories assaulted her.

Those hands…

_The ones that would tenderly touch her leg, or her hand. The touch always causing her heart to skip a beat. Assuring her more than once that she was alive, and well. The calluses on his palms reminding her every time of the kind of man that he was. _

Those eyes…

_The ones that would sparkle when she made him laugh. Or the ones that would be teasing when he flirted with her. The ones filled with pain in more than one incident when he had been hurt. By her or by the enemy. Beautiful big brown eyes that made her want to get lost in them._

Those arms…

_The ones that had always been open for her, whenever she needed strength. The ones that had tenderly wrapped around her body and held her. Her safe place of refuge in the midst of a storm. Being able to draw strength from his strong arms._

That smile…

_The crooked grin of his that never ceased to make her smile in return. The one that always managed to make her day when she saw it._

That voice…

_The deep voice that would yell at the bad guys, or that would talk softly to a child. The voice that she heard every morning when they were off world._

_The voice that she wanted to hear beside her every morning when she woke up. The one she wanted to hear 30 years from now when they were old and gray._

"Colonel Carter." A deep voice said from behind her.

Sam glanced over her shoulder and saw Teal'c standing in the doorway.

"Oh hi Teal'c…do you need something?"

"Nothing." He said as he walked in and stood at the end of Jack's bed.

"General O'Neill means much to you…have you told him this?" Teal'c said cocking a brow at her.

Sam squirmed. God how did he know that? But then she figured that he had known from the beginning, maybe even before they themselves had known. He'd always been there in the background, watching their interactions.

"Ah…no I haven't…and right now he's..." Sam said softly, trailing off as her eyes once again returned to Jack's unconscious form.

"You must tell him soon."

"Teal'c there's no evidence that people in a coma can hear what someone is saying…" She said helplessly.

"He will hear." Teal'c said as he bowed his head to her and left the room.

She sighed. Picking up his hand gently in hers, being careful not to disturb his IV, she held his hand against her cheek.

"Hi…sir…Jack. This is, wow pretty hard…but there's something I need to tell you, and I'm not sure if you can hear me or not. Teal'c wants me to try anyway and you know how demanding he can be." She said smiling softly.

She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I know it might be too late…I shouldn't be bothering you with this now…but I need you."

Why did she always have such a hard time saying this? She just needed to get it out in the open, once and for all.

"I…I don't mean in just a professional sense…I need you, Jack, always. I need you in my life and I need you here with me. Please." Her soft voice cracked on the last word.

And slowly the tears run down her face. And for once she allows herself to fall apart. Her silent sobs shook her form.

And then suddenly the hand that she was holding slowly starts to wipe away her tears.

Her eyes fly to his and he smiles just the smallest bit.

"Don't…cry…" He cracks out softly.

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_Author's Note- I think there should only be one chapter left. Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!_


	18. Forever

**Forever**

"He's awake." Sam called to the nurse down the hall.

She turned back to Jack. "Hi…do you remember anything?" Sam said as she leaned over him.

Jack shook his head slowly. "Car accident…where am…I?" His voice low and unsteady.

"You're in the hospital…you have a severe concussion and a broken rib…You've been in a coma for the past 2 days." She told him as she stepped away to let the nurse get through.

She still hadn't let go of his hand.

Within a few minutes Daniel and Teal'c came in the room.

But all he could do was stare at her. Because she was here by his side.

And she had been crying…and mumbling words that he hadn't understood.

He stared into her beautiful blue eyes and she smiled at him. The tears were still visible in her eyes.

And as long as she was here, he knew he'd be okay.

In that moment he didn't know why or how but something in their relationship had shifted.

He could see it in her eyes, could feel it in her touch.

And suddenly forever with her didn't seem so impossible anymore.

*****

After three days Daniel was able to convince Sam to go back to her hotel room. Four more days passed and Jack was released from the hospital.

Sam drove him to his house. How ironic that it had all started at this house and here they were once more.

She followed him into his kitchen. He turned around to face her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"So…Carter…" He started to say.

"Sir…"

"Ah! Let me finish." Jack said holding up a finger.

Sam grinned at him and he blinked. That smile wasn't a smile he was used to seeing from her. And it confused the hell out of him.

Jack glanced at her before going to the bag from the hospital. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her.

He watched her quietly as she scanned the paper. Her eyes went wide as she realized what exactly it was. Her eyes flew to his and he had no idea what she was thinking.

"Retirement papers?" She whispered.

"As of this morning I am officially retired." Jack said quietly.

"Why…sir?"

"I'm no longer sir…It's Jack." He said as he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Jack." She said softly.

He loved the sound of his name on her lips.

"I've been doing this for too long…and with the accident, my knee got banged up pretty good." Jack said with a shrug of his shoulder.

He gauged her reaction but once again it was unreadable. He had no clue what was going through her head.

"I think a congratulations are in order…" He said teasing her.

"Congratulations…what are you going to do now?" Sam asked as she sat the papers back down on the counter.

"Well I was thinking of buying this cabin in Colorado Springs…"

"Oh?"

Jack hurriedly rushed ahead. "And there's this little pond right next to it. And the back yard is huge." He said as he stretched out his arms to show her the size.

"Big enough for a dog?" She said with a smile.

"Oh yeah! And there's this master bedroom…and it really is too big for one person…"

"It is?" She said with a laugh.

Slowly Jack walked towards her. "And you see I know this one woman…"

"Only one woman?" She said teasing him.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her.

"And I know for a fact that she works way too hard. And I figured that once she comes home from work she could really use some relaxation…maybe a dip in the pond…or fishing…" Jack said as he neared her.

"And what's this woman like?" Sam said with a small smile.

"She's the most beautiful brilliant Colonel-Doctor in the Air Force." Jack whispered to her.

As he gazed into her eyes he decided to risk it.

"And I love her." Jack said his voice soft and warm and tender.

And suddenly Sam's arms were around his neck and her lips were on his and he lost all train of thought.

He slowly backed her in up until her back hit the counter. His arm was wrapped around her waist while his other hand was buried in her hair.

He lost himself in the kiss and she matched his fervor with her own.

After a long while he pulled back, his hand still playing in her hair.

Sam smiled at him.

"She loves you back." She said softly.

Jack's heart jumped to his throat at her words.

"She does?" He said with a grin.

She nodded her head.

"Do you think she'll want to come live with me in this Cabin in Colorado Springs?" He said uncertainly.

"I think that it's a pretty safe bet." Sam said.

Jack searched her eyes for any sign of uncertainty.

He found none.

"Just one night isn't enough for me Sam. I want every night with you, for forever." He whispered as he leaned his head down once again.

"I want the same." She said as she met his lips halfway.

It didn't get much better than this.

******

_They lost themselves in each other's arms once more. But this time was different. It wasn't one night. It was every day, every month, every year._

_And their love grew and changed and evolved. They loved each other and the life that they had made. There were fights and crushed hopes. There were moments they would never forget. _

_There was laughter and tears and joy._

_And when it was said and done, they always had each other._

_One night had turned into so much more. It had turned into forever._

_And neither one regretted that night, or any night, for all time. It had brought them together and bonded their hearts in ways that neither one had imagined. _

_For always. _

_---------------------------------------------------_

_Finished_

_Author's Note- I hope you guys liked the ending, thanks so much for sticking with this story! If you liked it let me know._


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